


Let's Play House

by Not Applicable (not_applicable)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Accidental Marriage, Asgardian Liquor, Bisexual Rhodey, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Crushes, Fluff, Interracial Relationship, M/M, Pining, Rare Pairings, Romance, Second Chances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-04
Updated: 2014-08-04
Packaged: 2018-02-11 15:32:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2073501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/not_applicable/pseuds/Not%20Applicable
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“So.  Good morning, I guess.”</p><p>“Yeah, good morning,” Steve said, and he took a seat on the bed beside Rhodey.  Rhodey was still just in his boxers with his phone resting on one leg, and he was twisting his matching wedding band around his left ring finger as he grinned warily at Steve.  “So,” Steve continued, and he held up his left hand, “this happened last night.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let's Play House

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BlueManta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueManta/gifts).



Steve hadn't been to Las Vegas since the forties. It was barely a city when he came through with the USO, mostly just the gunnery base and a few hotels for military visitors. The mobsters and casinos didn't come around until Steve was firmly lodged in a glacier, and it was surprising to see how much the city had changed in those decades. It was lit up garishly beneath him as he stared from the window of Tony's jet. No one else was looking – Clint and Natasha were already gathering their bags and Bruce had his cell phone out, pecking and swiping at the screen. Thor was pouring a sip of something Asgardian into a tumbler before Tony, who picked it up, knocked it back, and just mumbled, “Tastes like Dimetapp,” as he wiped his bottom lip.

They landed on the Bellagio's private airstrip, located a short drive outside of town, and Lt. Col. Rhodes was standing on the tarmac waiting for them. Steve had last seen the guy when he walked in fully-armored and dumbfounded during shawarma after they destroyed – well, _saved_ New York City. Steve had been nodding off into his leftovers, and he barely said hi to the guy though he was taken by the sight of him, his tired and sweaty face framed by gun metal. Rhodes was one of the modern military heroes that Steve had taken the time to read about – born and raised in Philly, USAFA and MIT grad, head of DOD weapons development, soon to be a full-bird Colonel. Steve didn't see much of him after that, and that was probably for the best – he was a terrible flirt and this guy was way out of his league, anyway. Col. Rhodes stayed in New York with Tony and Bruce, but Steve had gone straight to DC after Loki and Thor left.

They were all lined up to exit the plane and Steve ended up in front of Tony. “Heya, Cap,” Tony said over his shoulder, “feel free to say more than hello this time around.”

Steve sneered. “Shut your trap, shellhead.”

“Alright, suit yourself,” Tony said warily as the door finally opened. “But you're not allowed to ask me if he likes you after he's gone, okay?”

Steve's face reddened and he said nothing back as he descended the stairs. Rhodey was in civilian attire and he hugged Tony's neck when they disembarked, patted everyone's backs and welcomed them to Vegas. Steve reached out for a handshake and got an enthusiastic one in return, and he tried not to shrink away from Rhodey's intense eye contact. His hello was lost in the chorus of everyone else's greetings as they all climbed into a blacked-out van, and they rode into the city as the Colonel told them of the night's events.

“There's a reception before the award ceremony – that's at seven o'clock,” Rhodey said, and then he pinned Tony with his gaze. “If you're gonna be late or if you plan to skip out, just call me, text me, something -”

“You're gonna make me apologize for that for the rest of my life, aren't you?” Tony asked, his expression long-suffering but playful, and Rhodey just chuckled and continued.

“Awards start at eight,” he said. “All of you will have to go on stage but only one of you needs to accept the award and say a few words. I vote Charles Atlas over there.”

Steve had been halfway listening but mostly looking at the casino lights when he heard a reference that he understood, and he looked quickly to see everyone in the van nodding in agreement.

“Me?” he asked. “I'm supposed to be keeping a low profile.”

“Fine, unless you want Tony speaking for the team.”

Steve gave a resigned sigh and conceded a bitter nod. “Fair enough.”

“Hey man, I heard about that 'fourscore and seven years ago' that you pulled before you tore down SHIELD with Romanov and the Falcon,” Rhodey said. “Wilson said it was pretty badass. You'll do fine.”

Steve felt his face heat when he replied with, “Thanks, I try.”

“You _succeed_.”

Rhodey was still looking at him and flashing a grin that made Steve feel a little too hot on the inside. The guy had nice eyes. Steve looked back out of the tinted window, watching the marquees streak past him in muted technicolor.

 

*

 

The food was good and Steve kept his speech short. Iron Patriot was given a commendation as well for exposing the vice president's treason and rescuing President Ellis from certain death, and Rhodey thanked Tony and his mother in his speech. Thor had more of that otherworldly cough syrup and Tony insisted that it just tasted like medicine and didn't do a thing for him, but the splash that Thor dumped into Steve's club soda tasted hot and strong like scotch whiskey to him. It made his chest feel warm and his head went swimmy like it hadn't in decades, but it gave him the courage to whisper, “Congratulations,” to Rhodey when he returned to the table with his trophy. Rhodey just shrugged and elbowed him, then said, “Thanks.”

The banquet ended and they all hit the private gaming tables at the Bellagio – except Bruce, who didn't like gambling _or_ the crowded nature of a casino floor. Clint and Natasha preferred poker while Tony and Rhodey both hit the craps table. Steve sipped soda topped with Asgardian whiskey while Thor played craps with Tony and Rhodey, and he tried not to blush whenever Rhodey would catch him staring. The three of them all proved to have hot hands as the night progressed, and Steve sat by as they each threw seven after seven after seven, and soon Steve began to actually feel drunk.

 

*

 

“Try not to be so obvious, man,” Tony whispered as they were ushered to another table.

“Shut up,” Steve responded.

 

*

 

“How you likin' that alien booze?” Rhodey asked, and Steve could only laugh in response. Rhodey laughed, too, leaning in close and resting a large hand at the small of Steve's back.

“Shh,” Natasha whispered harshly at them before looking back to the dealer. “Hit me.”

The dealer flipped the card and smiled. “21,” she said, and they all cheered like it was New Year's Eve.

 

*

 

They were at the bar at Le Cirque. Thor was heavy as he leaned on Steve's shoulder.

“We should probably stop,” he said, glancing around, and then he splashed the top of Steve's Manhattan with his flask.

“I agree,” Steve said, taking a sip.

Behind him he heard Rhodey say, “He's not bad.”

“Don't waste your time,” Natasha responded. “He's an awful kisser.”

Steve took another swig of his drink, his mouth suddenly very dry.

 

*

 

“Sorry, sugar, but I _gotta_ turn in.”

“What? _Really?!_ You're always the one dragging _me_ around, and finally on the one night where I actually wanna stay out and party...”

The others were already scattering down the hallway and going to their own rooms, but Rhodey was standing in front of Tony's suite door and arguing with him, reminding him that it was only midnight. Rhodey gestured widely with his arms, muscles thick and rippling across each other, and sure, Steve was a bad kisser and was even worse at flirting, but he had enough booze in his system to convince him otherwise right now. This guy was an Air Force Colonel and America's first sanctioned superhero. He had a big smile and touched Steve like he knew him. Why the hell not.

“Rhodes,” he called, and both of the men in the doorway turned around. “I'm game. Let's hit the tables.”

 

*

 

Rhodey's mouth tasted like what Tony described as “girly drinks” - Midori, pineapple juice, sweet vermouth. Steve sucked at Rhodey's bottom lip and moaned at the fingertips digging into his side.

“I'm sorry, sirs, but you have to play if you're gonna sit at the table.”

 

*

 

“You taste weird,” Rhodey breathed, pulling his lips away for a moment, and Steve grinned. “Like cough medicine – the shit my mom used to give me.”

Steve shrugged. “Thor's stuff,” he said, and then he leaned in and opened his mouth, pressed his lips to Rhodey's and slid his tongue inside hungrily.

“Cash or charge?” Steve heard someone say, and he fished around his pocket and produced a credit card, dropping it on the countertop, never breaking their kiss.

 

*

 

They were still making out, and now someone was talking to them. Steve just looked at the man to the right of him and giggled before straightening up, and so did Rhodey. They took each other's hands.

 

*

 

Steve was backing his way into his hotel room at the Bellagio, he knew that much, and Rhodey was glued to the front of him, kissing him and gripping his ass hard. Steve dragged them towards the bed, pulling off his jacket and his shirt, whipping his belt away and toeing off his shoes before stopping when he felt the back of his knees hit the bed. They kissed and Steve rolled his hips into Rhodey's, his cock hard already, his body buzzing from Rhodey's hands on his back, sliding lower, one of them easing down into his jeans and his underwear. Rhodey's big hand was hot as it gripped Steve's bare ass, fingers pressing into his naked flesh, teasing towards the center. Steve breathed shakily – that was almost too much, it had been too long for him and now was _not_ the time to test his resolve. He was drunk for the first time in decades and he couldn't think of anything besides Rhodey's hands on his ass, his cock hard and pressing into Steve's own.

“Fuck me, Rhodey,” Steve moaned into their kiss, rocking his hips back and arching his ass into Rhodey's touch. “Look, I'm bad at flirting, okay, just...” Rhodey gave his ass a squeeze and Steve moaned, dropping his head onto Rhodey's shoulder. “Fuck my ass, come on – we're _supposed to_ now, right?”

Rhodey snickered, sounding far-off and dreamy in Steve's intoxicated mind, and he hoped his smile didn't look too wobbly. “Yeah, but...seriously, man, we're shitfaced,” Rhodey said, and Steve whined wordlessly though he knew it was true. “We wouldn't get very far.”

Rhodey took his hand out of Steve's pants, eliciting another whine from him, but instead of complaining he just pulled off his jeans as Rhodey undressed down to his boxers as well. They fell into bed together and Steve was out almost immediately, his head heavy with alcohol as Rhodey wrapped his arms around him.

 

* * *

 

Steve remembered his last hangover back in 1941, before his health got so bad that he couldn't drink at all, and this one was nothing like it. He had a headache from what he assumed was dehydration, but beyond that he felt fine. He blinked his eyes open and he already knew who he was spooned tightly against, but he didn't feel particularly mortified or anything. Steve was glad that he could actually remember most of the night – not _all_ of it, but the missing pieces were already coming back bit by bit. Making out at a blackjack table, making out in a taxi, making out in the elevator. Hm. Lots of making out.

The end of the night was patchy but Steve was pretty sure they hadn't had sex – he couldn't see any evidence of it anywhere. Steve sat up and swung his legs off of the bed, then went to the restroom to relieve himself. He was tempted to feel weird or ashamed about last night, but why? He'd gotten drunk and made out with a hot guy all night, fell asleep with him, no big deal. Well, he was sure that Tony would probably give them both a hard time once he found out, but Steve didn't care about that. Last night could have gone much worse.

To be honest, Steve _was_ a bit mortified at the fact that he hadn't been sober, that he had thrown himself at an Air Force _colonel_ instead of just taking the guy out on a real date, getting to know him, all that gentlemanly stuff. He supposed that if Rhodey had been cool enough to still crash at the end of the night, then maybe he'd give Steve a chance to make up for his boorish behavior.

Steve flushed the toilet and went to wash his hands, and when he picked up the soap he immediately dropped it into the sink. He was wearing a thin, gold ring on his left hand. He stared at it long and hard, just looked at it as the water ran. Where did it come from? Why was it on _that_ finger? He looked in the mirror and blinked at the hickeys that were already fading on his neck, then looked down to the ring again. It was a wedding band.

Steve turned off the sink and went to the shower instead. He stepped under the water before it was even hot enough, and the cold shocked him awake a bit more – awake enough to finally remember the end of the night. He shut his eyes and remembered taking Rhodey's hands in front of some guy. He remembered having to sign some stuff, and he remembered paying for something with a credit card that Tony had given him. He opened his eyes and saw his hand again, saw the simple and not-that-cheap band on the fourth finger of his left hand.

Shit. Where did they get the idea to get fucking married? Steve couldn't remember suggesting such a thing last night, and he couldn't remember Rhodey doing that, either. Wasn't someone supposed to stop people from getting married in this town if they were too drunk or something? Tony was going to kill them both, Steve knew it, and he figured that Natasha would have a few words for him as well. But maybe this thing didn't have to stay permanent. They hadn't even slept together, after all – if getting married in Vegas was so easy, then annulment and divorce had to be just as simple.

Steve showered quickly and when he got out to dry off he could hear someone moving around in the bedroom, which meant that Rhodey was awake. He groaned, nervous to face him, but he hoped that they could just giggle off their naivety and dart down to the courthouse to void their hasty “union.” He could hear Rhodey groaning, mumbling like he was on the phone. Was it that bad? Steve wrapped a towel around his waist and walked back out into the room.

Rhodey was on the bed and talking lowly on his phone, too low for Steve to hear, and he looked over his shoulder quickly as Steve walked out. His expression was panicked but his eyes still swept across Steve's torso as he approached the bed, and he said into the phone, “He's here, I gotta go,” before hanging up quickly. He turned back to Steve then and smiled tensely, shaking his head. “So. Good morning, I guess.”

“Yeah, good morning,” Steve said, and he took a seat on the bed beside Rhodey. Rhodey was still just in his boxers with his phone resting on one leg, and he was twisting his matching wedding band around his left ring finger as he grinned warily at Steve. “So,” Steve continued, and he held up his left hand, “this happened last night.”

Rhodey actually laughed, a response that relieved Steve. “Yes, it sure did,” Rhodey said, and then he shook his head. “Whose idea was it? Because I don't even...” Rhodey let out a harsh breath and ran his hand roughly down his face.

“It's not that big of a deal,” Steve offered carefully. He could see that Rhodey was a little more tense about this than he'd originally expected. “Get cleaned up. We'll dart over to the courthouse, annul the marriage, return these rings, and then...I hope you'll let me buy you some breakfast.” Rhodey was grinning but his expression was stoic and aimed somewhere towards the floor. “Tony and the others won't even have a chance to find out.”

Rhodey looked at him, nailed him with wide eyes and an expression that leaned more towards _devastated_ than Steve was prepared for. “What is it?” Steve asked, scooting a bit closer.

“You haven't seen the internet today, have you?” Rhodey asked, but he was already picking up his phone and tapping away at the screen. “So whichever fucking 'wedding chapel' we went to actually _streams video_ of the ceremonies online. It's a live feed that anyone can access through their website.” Rhodey held up his phone to show him the YouTube app open and playing a video. Rhodey and Steve were standing face to face and holding hands while a stranger read to them from a Bible. They were putting rings on each other's fingers now. Steve watched the image of himself lean forward and kiss Rhodey on the lips, eliciting polite applause from the few people present. The video had twenty million views.

“I'm so sorry,” Steve whispered, unable to find his voice for a second. It was the only thing he could think to say for a moment, and he cleared his throat once he was able to continue. “I didn't know – I mean I don't know how we ended up in that place, why we even – and now it's all over the fucking internet...” Steve sighed and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. There was no way he was getting a second chance with this guy now. Rhodey was a military celebrity and now his business was out there for the world to see. Was Rhodey's interest in other men public knowledge? Steve didn't care if people knew that about himself, but his carelessness was probably gonna cause problems for Rhodey both privately and professionally.

“I just got off the phone with my superiors at Edwards,” he said. “They wanna talk to me.”

Steve's stomach sank and he covered his face with his hands. “You're not gonna get discharged, are you?”

“Nah, they can't do that anymore,” Rhodey said flippantly, like that was the least of his concerns. “I can't figure out _why_ they wanna meet, though. If it was a PR thing then they'd just send someone from Nellis to chew me out.”

“Does the public know that you...” Steve just gestured between them with a limp hand, at a loss for words. Rhodey shook his head.

“Seriously, Rhodey, I'm really sorry,” Steve said. “I didn't mean to put you out there like that. Just wanted to make out a little bit.”

“You wanted _a lot_ more than that last night,” Rhodey said, and Steve was relieved to hear a bit of a giggle in his voice. “Good thing I'm a gentleman.” Steve felt Rhodey's hand on his back and he couldn't help the grin that spread across his face at the warmth of his touch, the way it seeped into Steve's own chilly skin. “But look, nobody has to suffer over a one-night thing, you know? I gotta video-conference Edwards in about twenty minutes but I'll get back with you later and we'll see about going to the courthouse, okay?”

 _A one-night thing._ Well, Steve supposed that said it all. “Great,” Steve said, and his smile pulled unnaturally at his face as he stood. “Sure thing.”

 

*

 

“I think it's precious.”

“What's in that shit you two were drinking last night, Thor?”

“It is a simple herbal tincture. A pain reliever, I think you would call it.”

“Hey, look at the kiss – watch, guys.... _awww_...”

“Rewind it.”

“I don't know, Steve. You two look pretty good together.”

“Looks like you missed out on a lot last night, Bruce.”

 

Steve ignored the hot burn in his face as he cut into his pancakes, and he patted his pocket with his free hand to see if his phone was vibrating, though he already knew it wasn't. The sooner Rhodey called him to go to the courthouse, the sooner the team's good-natured ridicule would end. He didn't mind the teasing outright – they were friends, after all – but it just reminded him of a night wasted, an evening spent drunkenly making out and overstating his feelings to the point of marrying someone, going to bed and waking up in the morning beside his crush just so that they both could regret the whole thing. His time with Rhodey was now just a flash in the pan because he'd had to go and make a move while he was drunk – now he could remember begging to be fucked, too, rubbing himself against Rhodey and whining like a cat when he was denied. Steve groaned and kept eating and ignoring his friends. They'd get the marriage annulled and then that would be it. Steve had blown his chance.

Steve got a text message and he was already standing as he opened it – he was leaving the room regardless. It was from Rhodey, though, thank God, telling him to meet him in his hotel room. It was barely eleven in the morning and Steve hadn't finished his pancakes. He hoped he could talk Rhodey into brunch before they headed downtown.

 

*

 

Rhodey tipped the concierge who brought their room service brunch to them and sat down across the table from Steve, who reached out for his omelet but paused when he noticed that Rhodey wasn't moving, was just sitting there and watching him. He picked up his food anyway and sat it before himself, then reached for his silverware.

“Are you not hungry?” he asked, sprinkling salt on his hash browns. Rhodey reached out and picked up his steak and eggs almost like it was an afterthought, and he removed the lid but left his food untouched as Steve dug in.

“Let me ask you something,” Rhodey said, and Steve just cocked an eyebrow as he ate. “How would you feel if we just let this ride out for a while?” Steve stopped eating, purely bewildered by the question, and Rhodey seemed to pick up on that as he continued. “I know that last night was just...we had our fun and that's that” - Steve worked hard not to blink too much at that - “but I talked to the DOD and it turns out that they just think that the eloping looks bad. They hate that we didn't give Public Affairs enough time to prepare for all the journalists that are hittin' them up. I mean it's a shitstorm at Edwards right now _and_ in DC, apparently.”

Steve swallowed the food that he'd been chewing for the past minute. “Is it,” he said, because he thought it was best if he said _something._

“But it's kind of a relief, you know,” Rhodey continued. “People were telling me 'congratulations.' Nobody cares, and some people are even, like, _happy_ about it. I'm kinda surprised that I don't mind the way all this looks on me. I didn't think I'd ever come out to the public at all, let alone like this.”

“So it's -” and Steve paused to clear his throat, trying his best to compose himself. “This is actually good for you, then.”

“Yeah,” Rhodey said, nodding. “ _Much_ more natural than one of those 'I am not straight' press conferences. Plus it makes the military look progressive as hell and it'll probably help a few kids out there feel better about themselves, too. Even you can get behind that.”

“Definitely,” Steve said. “But what does that have to do with us staying married? I mean, you said this morning that it was a one-night thing.”

Regret still tugged at Steve's insides. What a boneheaded mistake. He had to know if he'd really blown his chance. Rhodey was pushing his steak around on his plate with a thoughtful expression. “Maybe I'm old-fashioned,” Rhodey said, “but I'd rather not get an annulment or a divorce so quickly. Not a good look where I'm from – my parents will lay into me.” Steve nodded and kept eating. “Are you single? Is someone out there gonna be pissed about this?”

“Yeah, I'm single,” Steve mumbled, and he winced at how glum it came out. “But you don't mind – I mean I assume you're single, too, right? I'd think you'd wanna be free to have your fun.” Steve's face felt hot. He didn't like talking about this. “I mean you're free to do whatever you want. You're not, you know...this isn't real, you're not beholden to me or anything. It was just one night, just a mistake, right? You don't owe me anything.”

Rhodey put down his fork and Steve stayed focus on his food, not daring to look into Rhodey's eyes. “Hey,” Rhodey said in a tone that made Steve's flesh crawl, “I'm sorry. This is a bad idea, isn't?”

“No, no, it's fine,” Steve responded, finally looking at the man across the table. “Really, I can handle it.”

“No – I can tell that you're bothered,” Rhodey said. Steve couldn't deny it. He just nodded. “I think of last night as a happy accident. And I'm trying to spin it into something positive. I think that dragging you along for the ride might actually be a bad idea now because I honestly do not want to hurt you.”

Steve wanted to ask how Rhodey would hurt him, but when he opened his mouth he thought better of it and stayed silent. Rhodey got the idea, though. “Because I can tell that you don't think of last night as a mistake at all,” Rhodey said.

“Is that bad?” Steve asked, unable to play it cool or mask his vulnerability.

“No,” Rhodey said, to Steve's endless relief. “Let's face it, Cap – we wouldn't have ended in a goddamned wedding chapel together if both of us hadn't wanted it.” Rhodey twisted the ring on his finger around, smirking. “I still can't figure out who asked who, but if one of us asked then the other one obviously said yes. We might have gotten carried away, but last night was _not_ a mistake.”

Steve laughed as he felt the knot of tension in his stomach uncoil and melt away. What a fucking relief. Rhodey reached across the table and pulled at Steve's hand, coaxing him to stand, and they fell into a chuckling, head-shaking hug. Steve sighed and breathed deep, glad to have the opportunity to make this right, an opportunity that he'd never had with Peggy or any of the other's he'd let slip through his fingers.

“I barely know anything about you,” Steve said as they hugged, “and I haven't even slept with you, but _somehow_ I convinced you to marry me. Wow.” Steve suppressed a shudder when he felt Rhodey's soft laugh rumble through is chest, but he wasn't as successful when Rhodey's hands slid down the plane of his back to rest right at his hips.

“Must mean you're pretty special,” Rhodey said, and Steve turned his head to meet Rhodey's lips in a kiss, and Rhodey's hands drifted down to gently cup Steve's ass as Steve slid a hand up to Rhodey's short hair. Rhodey's hands on his ass felt a little overwhelming to his sober brain so he just reached up and touched Rhodey's hips, slid his hands around to pull him close for another kiss, and Rhodey's hand resting on his chest was heavy, hot and calming.

“By the way,” Steve whispered into their kiss, “I'm glad to stay married to you, but not for the reasons you suggested.” Steve brushed his lips along Rhodey's for a moment. “I like you.”

“Good,” Rhodey said softly, moving to kiss the corner of Steve's mouth. “I like you, too, Rogers.”

“So let's play house,” Steve mumbled along Rhodey's lips, and Rhodey snickered and nodded in agreement but kept kissing him, and Steve took Rhodey's left hand, which rested on his chest, and kissed his ring finger before picking him up and carrying him to the bedroom.


End file.
